A spatially-explicit, participatively derived dataset for Nature-based Building Blocks integrating biophysical, social and ecological characteristics across EU coastal restoration pilots

Abstract

Effective large-scale coastal restoration requires moving beyond successful yet isolated pilot projects towards integrated, landscape-scale implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NbS). Achieving this transition depends on systemic approaches that translate local knowledge into spatial planning and broader environmental objectives across connected ecosystems, while addressing entangled challenges driven by, for example, climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Within the EU H2020 REST-COAST project, we developed the Nature-based Building Blocks (NB 3 ) Framework to support the participatory upscaling of NbS across European coastal restoration pilots. This data paper presents a spatially-explicit dataset generated through the participatory application of the framework at pilot sites. Using the Interactive Web Map tool that implements the Participatory Downscaling Approach of the framework, stakeholders mapped Coastal Units representing context-specific spatial entities for restoration planning. Each Coastal Unit is coupled to a structured data sheet derived from the Input-Process-Output Model of the NB 3 Framework, capturing locally relevant biophysical, ecological and socio-economic information. The resulting dataset provides a standardised, yet flexible representation of pilots’ coastal restoration contexts, enabling comparative analysis, fostering cross-site learning and providing information for decision-making strategies in NbS upscaling. By making these data openly available, the dataset provides a benchmark for comparative reuse in future restoration strategies and promotes broader application of participatory, transdisciplinary approaches to upscaling coastal restoration.